RVS Kids Club Information, Policies and Procedures 2016 – 2017 Table of Contents: 1. General Information 2. Registration 3. Drop‐In Policy 4. Billing 5. Student Withdrawal Policy 6. Special Days, Camps, Holidays, & Closures 7. Field Trips 8. Health Considerations 9. Communication Strategies 10. More About Kids Club 11. Code of Conduct / Discipline 1. General Information a) What is RVS Kids Club? River Valley School (RVS) Kids Club offers two programs called Big Kids Club and Little Kids Club that provide before and after school care to RVS students Monday to Friday, full day or half day care on Special Days, and as weekly Camps during winter, spring, and summer breaks. RVS Kids Club service can be purchased as a package or on a drop‐in basis. Childcare is provided by certified staff (see 9.b, Staff) and is overseen by a Kids Club Coordinator. b) Contact: You may contact the RVS Kids Club Coordinator directly at (403) 246 2275 or by email at: [email protected] or [email protected] . Kids Club cell phones are available from 7:00am‐8:20am or 4:00‐6:00pm for emergency use only. Big Kids‐ 403‐200‐6870, Little Kids 403‐200‐4189. c) Little Kids Club or Big Kids Club? Little Kids Club serves children aged 3‐5 in Tots, Junior Kindergarten, Kindergarten, or Montessori Casa going to River Valley School (RVS) Early Learning Campus (ELC). Big Kids Club operates out of the River Valley School (RVS) Elementary Campus (EC) and is for children in Progressive Grades 1‐6, Montessori Lower Elementary, or Montessori Upper Elementary who attend RVS EC. Due to licensing requirements, an older sibling that attends Big Kids Club cannot attend with a younger sibling at Little Kids Club, or vice versa. d) Hours (excluding Special Days): Little Kids Club operates Monday to Friday from 7:00 am to 8:30 am and from 3:15 pm to 6:00 pm Big Kids Club runs Monday to Friday from 7:00 am to 8:25 am and from 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm. e) School Addresses: Little Kids Club is located at RVS Early Learning Campus at 6305 33rd Ave NW. Big Kids Club operates at RVS Elementary Campus at 3127 Bowwood Drive NW. f) Pickup and Drop Off Locations: Little Kids Club: Door at the front of the school, to the left of main doors. (ring buzzer) Big Kids Club: Side Gym door (ring buzzer) Parents/guardians or authorized adults dropping off a child are responsible for bringing the child to the program and signing them in with staff. Children are not to be dropped off outside the program doors. g) Release of Children Staff can only release a child to adults for whom they have prior written consent from a parent/guardian. Staff must be notified in writing or with an email (see General Information – Contact) about a new pickup arrangement prior to pick up. Staff will also ask to see a piece of picture identification from the person picking up your child. h) After School Procedures Staff greet and sign in children as they arrive at the RVS Kids Club program they attend. If a child expected at RVS Kids Club does not arrive within five minutes of class dismissal, staff will then page the child inside the school. If the child still does not show up, the staff will contact the teacher to verify if the child was dismissed to a parent/guardian or took the bus service home. If the child still cannot be located, a phone call to the parents/guardians will be made. If a child has to stay after school with their teacher, the child must first go to RVS Kids Club to let staff know. The teacher must drop the child off at the program once they have finished their schoolwork. i) Attendance/Absences Kids Club staff are required by licensing regulations to document daily attendance of all registered children including arrival and departure times. Parents/guardians must notify RVS Kids Club if their child is absent, even if they have already notified their child’s teacher and school administration. (See General Information – Contact). If a child does not arrive at the program after school, parents will be phoned to determine the whereabouts of the child. If your child is ill or on vacation, there is no reduction in fees as your registration secures your child’s space in the program. j) Clothing During half‐day programs, full day programs, and Camps, we encourage families to dress their child in appropriate clothes for doing crafts and projects. Children will be provided protective clothing during these times but full coverage isn’t guaranteed. Children should be properly dressed for the weather as we do go outside most days. RVS Kids Club children will go outside up to minus 20 Celsius. k) Lunch and Snacks Snacks and lunch are NOT provided to children at RVS Kids Club. We encourage families to provide snacks suggested by Canada’s Food Guide for designated snack times. At RVS Kids Club we are NUT FREE. If a child attends with a non‐nut free lunch, they will be required to eat it in another area. If a child has any allergies, it is important that parents/guardians speak with the RVS Kids Club Coordinator (see General Information – Contact). It is also important that children know what they can and cannot eat. 2. Registration All families must fill out a Registration Form, a Medical Release form, and a Kids Club Emergency Medical Form before their child attends RVS Kids Club, whether attending the Regular Program as a Daily Participant or Drop In Participant (see below), using RVS Kids Club on Special Days, or attending an RVS Kids Club Camp during school holidays. Children will not be able to attend programs until this information has been received. Special Days and Camps require additional sign‐up forms available from RVS Kids Club. Parents of children who are Regular Program Daily Participants must also fill out and submit the Fee Schedule Form. Parents are encouraged to email, phone, or meet with the Kids Club Coordinator to discuss childcare as needed (see General Information – Contact). 3. Drop‐In Policy Please note that all Drop In children must be pre‐registered to attend RVS Kids Club by filling out and submitting the forms attached (excluding the Fee Schedule form) in advance and by contacting the Kids Club Coordinator prior to each date of Drop In (see General Information – Contact). This ensures that proper staff‐to‐
child ratios are met per Alberta Child Care Licensing Guidelines. Registering holds a spot for your child, so payment will be taken upon registration. 4. Billing Fee Schedule & Payment Options * Prices are subject to change without notice Care Needed Ages 3‐5 Ages 6‐12 Before/After School $475.00/mo. $450.00/mo. $300.00/mo. $275.00/mo. $350.00/mo. $325.00/mo. * Includes PD days Before School * PD days are extra After School * PD days are extra Occasional Drop in $30.00 (before school or after school) Early Dismissal Days $45/day PD Days $75.00/day Winter, Spring & Summer Camps $250.00/week for grades 1 to 6 $275.00 /week for Tots, JK, K Late Pick‐Up Parents picking students up after 6:00pm will be administered a late slip. Charges are $10.00 up to the first 10 minutes, and $1 per minute after that. This fee will be separate to regular billing and is not receipt‐able for childcare as it is outside our licensed operating time. RVS Kids Club accepts the following payment types: Cheque, Cash, Credit (Visa, MasterCard, Amex) or Debit. Regular RVS Kids Club users are invoiced at the beginning of each month and Drop In occurrences are billed after use. Automatic withdrawal can be set up with our Finance Department. Cheques should be made payable to River Valley School. Credit and Debit cards can be charged by the front desk staff at the RVS Elementary Campus (EC) location; please bring a copy of your invoice. Cash payments may be dropped off to the front desk at RVS EC in an envelope with attention to Finance and a copy of your invoice. Invoices are issued by Finance, not by RVS Kids Club. If you have questions you may contact our Finance Department by email at [email protected], by phone at 403 246 2275 ext. 223, or in person at RVS EC. 5. Student Withdrawal Policy The school requires one month written notice or payment if a student will be withdrawing partway though the school year from the RVS Kids Club. 6. Special Days, Camps and School Holidays, and Closures a) Special Days The following are some examples of days when the full‐day RVS Kids Club programs will operate due to school closures. All dates are identified on the RVS school calendar. These special days need to be prepaid one month in advance. We have the right to cancel (with reimbursement of funds) due to insufficient enrolment. i) Professional Development Days RVS Kids Club programs are open on all teacher professional development (PD) days. ii) Early Dismissal Days/Progress Meetings RVS Kids Club also operates when classes are not in session due to a half day of school or because of Progress Meetings (formerly called parent teacher interviews). b) Camps and School Holidays i) Winter/Spring Break Camps During Winter and Spring Break, RVS Kids Club is open most days. Programs will run from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm. Students can be enrolled by the week for these camps. ii) Summer Camps Summer Camps operate during the months of July and August from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm. Students can be registered for summer camps by the week. RVS Kids Club will provide a structured day of activities, crafts, outdoor play, games in the gymnasium, field trips, and free play for the students. c) Closures RVS Kids Club is closed on all statutory holidays. In the event that these holidays should fall on a weekend we will close the preceding Friday or following Monday. The following is a list of statutory holidays recognized by RVS in which RVS Kids Club will be closed: •
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Labour Day Thanksgiving Day Remembrance Day •
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Christmas Eve (1/2 day) Christmas Day Boxing Day •
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New Year’s Day Family Day Good Friday •
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Victoria Day Canada Day Heritage Day 7. Field Trips During full week camps we schedule field trips for Big Kids Club so children are able to get out of the school and enjoy the surrounding area. Little Kids Club will stay on site, but have special guest visits. a) Field Trip Consent Forms Parents/guardians are required to fill out a Field Trip Consent Form for their child before participating on a field trip. Field Trip Consent Forms are given to families with separate registration forms for RVS Kids Club Camps. If a Field Trip Consent Form is not handed in, the child will not be able to attend the field trip, and it will be the parent or guardian’s responsibility to make an alternative care arrangement for their child. b) Offsite Safety Our main priority is the safety of every child. RVS Kids Club asks that all children dress in their RVS tracksuit (white shirt, blue pants, blue jacket) when going on a field trip. Each child is given a bracelet with two RVS Kids Club employees’ cell phone numbers. In the unlikely event that a child is separated from the group, they will ask an adult in authority at the field trip venue to call those numbers. All safety rules are discussed prior to leaving the program. If a significant safety rule is broken during an excursion, the following actions will be taken: 1)
An incident report will be filled out and the parents/guardians will be notified. This is a warning that if the behaviour continues, the child will not be able to attend the next off site activity and will have to stay at the program with a staff. A copy of the form will be given to the parents/guardians as well as kept on file at RVS Kids Club. If the behaviour continues, these steps will be taken a second time. 2)
If the behaviour continues on the third outing, the child will no longer be able to participate in any field trips/offsite activities provided by RVS Kids Club. A copy will be given to the parents/guardians as well as RVS Administration and kept on file at the relevant RVS Kids Club. Finding alternative care arrangements will be the parents’ responsibility. If at any time during a field trip/off site outing a child becomes a serious threat to himself/herself, to the group, or to any other individual, parents will be contacted and asked to pick up their child from the site immediately. c) Supervision on Field Trips Before leaving the program site, staff members conduct head counts and double‐check them against the sign in book. Children are counted multiple times throughout the excursion. A list of who is in attendance will be with the supervisor on all field trips. Where applicable on field trips, the children will be broken down into smaller groups while maintaining proper ratio. Staff will use walkie‐talkies and/or cell phones on field trips to remain in contact with each other while in smaller groups. Meeting places shall be established in case of emergency to ensure proper supervision while offsite. 8. Health Considerations a) Emergency Care Authorization for Accident or Illness In the event of illness or injury of your child, RVS Kids Club staff will try to reach parents/guardians as soon as the child’s immediate needs have been met. As per licensing regulations, we are also required to have on hand two emergency contact names, phone numbers, and addresses in case you are unavailable (see Kids Club Emergency Medical Plan form as part of registration form package). Please ensure your emergency contacts are aware of their responsibility to your child. Should an accident require a hospital visit, your child will be immediately taken to the Alberta Children’s Hospital by calling 9‐1‐1. You can meet your child and the supervising staff member there. If we cannot contact you or your emergency contact, your signature on the Medical Release Form will authorize any urgent medical treatment that may be required. b) Allergies and Known Medical Conditions Staff at the RVS Kids Club that your child attends must be made aware of any allergies and/or health considerations that affect your child. Please indicate all of your child’s health concerns on the Medical Release Form (registration package). Staff watch for early signs of illness or health concerns, and they always know where first aid kits and medications are stored. Please see below for our medication policies. c) Administering Non‐Emergency Medication Under NO circumstances will medication be administered without written authorization, and at no time will the child be able to self‐medicate. To ensure your child receives his/her medication as expected, you will need to fill out a Medication Sheet available from the RVS Kids Club Coordinator. All medication must be stored in the original box/container, with pharmacy label, and will only be administered according to the labeled directions. All medication is stored in a locked container that is inaccessible to children. If medication needs to be refrigerated, it will be placed in the refrigerator in the staff room at the school. Staff cannot administer non‐prescription medications (over the counter) or expired medication. Only prescribed medications in original box with pharmacy provided administration directions can be administered. RVS Kids Club is not responsible for lost or spilled medications. d) Emergency Medication The information above regarding Administering Non‐Emergency Medication applies to Emergency Medication as well, with addition of the following: emergency medication will be kept in an emergency bag, which travels with the child within the building, outside the building, and on field trips. A copy of the Emergency Medical Plan (attached) will be kept in the bag with the student’s emergency medication for easy access by Kids Club staff. e) Sunscreen and Bug Spray Parents/guardians are required to provide sunscreen, bug spray, and hats for outdoor play. Parents/guardians are encouraged to leave a bottle of sunscreen and bug spray with child name on it at the program. Staff will help in the application of sunscreen and bug spray each and every time it is required during outdoor activities. 9. Communication Strategies a) Communication from Staff to Parents/Guardians: Staff will: •
Communicate regularly in an open and positive manner regarding the child; •
Be non‐judgmental towards and respect the need to use childcare; •
Accept individual practices in raising children and any cultural differences; •
Make sure that parents/guardians are greeted each time they visit the program; •
Ensure that parents/guardians are aware of their child’s positive/negative behavior; •
Provide parents/guardians with necessary forms needed by the program. Staff and parents/guardians are required to maintain confidentiality with one another and regarding the child at all times. Staff and parents/guardians will treat each other with respect, courtesy, and understanding, and will only use appropriate language. b) Communication from Parents/Guardians to Staff: Parents/Guardians should: • Complete registration forms providing information about their child before attending the program; • Inform the program about any changes to information provided on forms as soon as possible; • Fill out any additional forms sent out by RVS Kids Club in a timely matter; • Inform the program about any matters that may affect the behaviour or welfare of their child at the program; • Inform staff if child will be absent from the program; • Inform staff if a person, not identified as an authorized adult for picking up your child, is going to pick up your child from the program. Please note that this person will be required to show photo identification. c) Communication from Staff to Children: Staff will: • Treat children with respect. • Acknowledge, and engage with children at all times. • Encourage respect and positive interactions between children. • Be available to children at all times. • Always use an appropriate voice tone and level when speaking to children. • Use appropriate language. • Not talk about the child in front of the child. • Always be positive and encouraging role models. 10. More About RVS Kids Club a) RVS Kids Club Philosophy RVS Kids Club before and after school programs are committed to enhancing the overall well being of children. Our programs are designed to enrich and compliment the child’s school experience in a safe, inclusive, and familiar environment. We strive to provide healthy, stable environments for children. We provide a caring, energetic staff who are committed to the safety of children; deliver well‐organized programs equipped with age appropriate materials in good condition; conduct satisfying activities; and encourage growth and development through play. b) Our Staff RVS Kids Club staff members are certified, or are in the process of being certified, as Child Development Assistants (at a minimum) under the Alberta Child Care Licensing guidelines. Staff members must also hold a current First Aid certificate and must undergo a Criminal Record Check that includes a Vulnerable Sectors search. All Kids Club staff have experience working with children between the ages of 3 and 15. c) Our Programs Learning and scheduling extends beyond the classrooms. RVS Kids Club provides an extension of the school day to families who require an extended care setting. This service is only available to students who are currently enrolled at River Valley School. RVS Kids Club is a not‐for profit, charitable organization operated by River Valley School. d) Learning Environment RVS Kids Club programs are conducted in the Gymnasiums and Playgrounds (weather permitting) of each school. Little Kids Club has it’s own classroom where play centres remain set up. Big Kids Club utilizes the EC Gymnasium where stations are set up and taken down daily. These environments are set up with stations to challenge the children physically, emotionally, intellectually, creatively, and socially. We believe that RVS Kids Club should be a place where children want to be and expect to have fun. Stations are equipped with a variety of developmentally appropriate toys and tools to help the child engage in sensory, fine motor, gross motor, and creative activities. Some examples of stations at Kids Club are as follows: Building Station ‐ Lego, Kinex, Barbies, and Little Kids Club has a sand table Creative Station – Paint, crayons, felt markers, paper, glue, and scissors Games & Puzzle Station ‐ Various board games and puzzles for all ages The Gym & Outdoor Field and Play structures ‐ Balls, rackets, hockey sticks, and big game space Quiet Area – Books and cushions Dramatic Play Station – Dress up costumes, props and rotating themes such as Store or Vet clinic e) Technology Regular days‐ Big Kids Club has a Wii where children are permitted to sign up for a turn to play an interactive game such as Wii Sports a few days per week. Children are permitted to engage in this activity for the length of time it takes to complete one game. Little Kids Club uses technology to project dance and yoga movement videos. PD days‐Both Little Kids and Big Kids Clubs show G rated movies on occasion during PD days or camps. At Big Kids Club only, one hour of technology time is permitted during PD days where children may use personal devises or school iPads. RVS will not be responsible for lost or damaged personal devices brought on these days. f) Outdoor Environment It is important for children to get outside and be active. Depending on weather conditions, we will venture outside daily to the playground and field so kids are able to run around and enjoy the outdoors. Kids who attend RVS Kids Club will go outside up to ‐20 Celsius. Please ensure children have clothing and outerwear appropriate to the weather. g) Onsite and Offsite Supervision Policies Staff are engaged with children without distractions. They are conscious of the group as a whole and position themselves to accommodate this. Staff encourage children to try new things by participating in activities, leading by example, and by providing age appropriate activities and materials. While working with children, staff limit their non‐work‐related conversations with one another. They conduct periodic head counts to ensure proper ratios and attendance. Staff take walkie‐talkies to outside play areas to ensure quick communication and adequate supervision. They are trained to check on a regular basis that the number of children signed in coincides with the number of children in attendance. A safety checklist will be completed on a daily basis to ensure the safe conditions of the equipment and facility, both on site and off. Visual checks will be completed upon arrival to any destination for safety hazards. Staff must ensure that all children are dressed appropriately for the current weather conditions. h) Toys and Equipment At RVS Kids Club, we do our best to guide your child to tend to their toys/equipment responsibly. However, accidents do happen, and in that case RVS Kids Club and its employees are not responsible for lost, stolen, or broken toys/equipment brought from home. Regularly sanitized, age‐appropriate toys and equipment are provided for the children to use and play with at the program. If your child purposely destroys any toys, equipment, and/ or property, it is parents/guardians’ responsibility to replace the broken item. 11. Code of Conduct All children that attend RVS Kids Club are expected to: • Be on time; • Be respectful to all staff; • Respect the person and property of fellow students; • Follow procedures related to safety. Students are expected to follow the Code of conduct at all times while attending the program, on field trips/off site activities, and while being transported by bus. Learning how to solve problems and handle social situations is an important part of a child’s development. We encourage children to communicate with each other to resolve conflict. Under adult supervision and guidance, we give our children every opportunity to engage in the solving of their own problems. When problems do occur, we suggest: FIRST: Tell the person that you do not like that kind of play and ask him/ her to stop. SECOND: If the person continues to bother you, then go to the supervisor on duty and tell the supervisor. THIRD: The supervisor will have the children discuss their problem and come to an agreeable solution. Teachers and RVS Administration will be advised of any ongoing concerns or problems. Supervisors will voluntarily step in to assist students when necessary, stop inappropriate behaviour, and help the students figure out a solution to their problem. Children are encouraged to ask for help. Parents/guardians are encouraged to communicate with RVS Kids Club staff about any ongoing school‐related concerns/ problems that students are expressing to them at home. Discipline Policy We believe every child has the right to be heard, to express themselves, to be loved and cared for regardless of their or his or her parents’/guardians’ race, colour, sex, language, religion, political, or other opinion, national, ethic, or social origin, property, disability, birth, or other status. We believe that the child should be protected against all forms of discrimination or punishment based on the same. We also understand the need for boundaries to be established and for the child to have guidance. We believe that a child can be reasoned with by setting limits, standards of behaviour, by providing explanations, providing choices, and being firm yet flexible. If this does not remedy the problem, we believe in a logical consequence. Abuse is not tolerated. RVS Kids Club uses a 3‐strike system whereby after the 3rd effort to deal with a child’s inappropriate behaviour or actions, the child may be removed from the program. The steps are as follows: 1. The child will be verbally warned about their behaviour/action and instructed how to correct it. 2. If the child’s behaviour/action continues or the severity of the behaviour/action is deemed excessive, a meeting with the parents/guardians will be required. At this time, the RVS Kids Club Coordinator along with the Head of River Valley School will explain to the parents/guardians what the behaviour/action has been. The RVS Kids Club Coordinator, Head of RVS, the parents/guardians, and child will develop a written action plan detailing the steps that will be taken to address the behavioural issues. The parents/guardians will also develop an action plan stating how the behaviour will be dealt with at home. The parents/guardians and RVS Kids Club Coordinator will sign both action plans. 3. If the behaviour continues, a final meeting will occur. The parents/guardians and child will be informed of the previous action plans and given one final opportunity to make the necessary changes. The child shall be placed on a thirty‐day probationary period and their progress will be carefully monitored. If significant improvements are not made during the probationary period, the following will occur: If the behaviour/action continues or a child engages in an excessive act of verbal, physical, or mental abuse, the child and their parents/guardians will once again meet with the RVS Kids Club Coordinator as well as the Head of School and the child may be asked to leave the program. Your payment for the duration of the program (the current week for Summer Camp and the current month for the Before and After Care program) will not be refunded. Any payments beyond the current week or month will be returned. This policy continues on and does not start over with a new school year or summer camp.